Embiid’s Offseason Improvements Should Help Take Pressure Off Harden, Maxey

Every year, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid levels up his game, especially in recent times. Following a first-round sweep in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Embiid

Every year, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid levels up his game, especially in recent times. Following a first-round sweep in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Embiid improved not only on the court but off the court as well, as he looked to have a better diet and take better care of his body.

During the 2020-2021 season, Embiid established himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant players as he fell short only to Denver’s Nikola Jokic in the MVP voting. After falling short in the second round of the playoffs, Embiid came back even better in 2021.

During the 2021-2022 season, Embiid became the league’s scoring champ. For the second season in a row, he was an MVP finalist. Unfortunately, a few injuries affected the big man in the postseason, and his team came up short in the second round once again.

As expected, Embiid hasn’t taken the loss lightly. Despite undergoing surgery recently to repair two hand-related injuries, Embiid’s been working on improving his game further, according to a report from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

“Embiid is ready. He was an MVP candidate for a second consecutive season, and he keeps getting better. He just turned 28, so there’s plenty of time for him to add even more to his game. Sources say Embiid is already working this offseason on perimeter attacks and finishing with touch at the rim.”

Per O’Connor, Embiid and the Sixers hope the big man will be “even more dynamic,” bringing the ball up the floor in 2022-2023. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers preached the idea of having several ball-handlers in the starting lineup rather than a primary guy last season. It seems Embiid, Rivers, and the Sixers are working on playing the same way next year as well.

Based on the improvements Embiid has shown over the last two years, the Sixers are likely confident the big man will come back even better in 2022-2023. For the young veteran Tyrese Maxey and the seasoned All-Star James Harden, that’s great news as more improvement from Embiid could take pressure off the two playmakers. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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